Toy vehicle



E. G. COX.

TOY VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED Auc.20.. I919.

1,381,403. 7 I PatentedJune 14, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

WITNESS IN VEN TOR MXM BY EDWIN 6;?! gm fld/ ATTORNEY E. G. COX.

TOY VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.20,19\9.

R m \92. m w Jm NG Mw m in m mm M S WITNESS v @w xd/w A TTORNE Y UNITED STATES EDWIN G. COX, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

"IOY VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1921.

Application filed Aug-ust'20, 1919. Serial No. 318,725.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN G. ()ox, aciti- Zen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have made a new and useful invention, to wit, Improvement in Toy Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the same.

The present invention is an improved toy vehicle. The primary object of the invention is to provide a vehicle which a child rider can propel by his own efi'ort and one which will be at the same time an amusement device and an exerciser.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle on which a child may ride in an approved posture with legs and arms straight and the propulsion accomplished by an anatomically correct distribution of physical effort.

Another object is to provide a manually operated toy vehicle in which the division of physical labor between the arms and legs is nearly equal and in which the weight of the rider is a contributing factor in propulsion. In the vehicle hereinafter described the component mechanical parts are constructed in accordance with accepted scientific principles calculated to give the maximum propulsion with the least possible physical effort. The invention resides particularly in the ingeniously fulcrumed relation of the frame to the pitman rod which imparts an undulating movement of the saddle which is pleasing to a child rider.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not lim ited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved toy vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my toy vehicie as it normally appears when not carrying a rider.

Fig. 4: is a bottom plan view showing a to accomplish the same wheels 2 and 3 are journaled on the end of a crank shaft 9. The supporting frame of the vehicle consists of two side members 11 and 12, the rear downward ends of which are provided with an end mortise as shown at 13 to form bearing for the crank shaft 9 which is held in said mortises by bolt 14. The side members ll-12 converge toward the steering post 6 and are pivotally con nected by means of the bolt 16 to a link 17 which is hingedly connected to the steering post 6 by means of strap hinges l8, 19, 21 and 22 which may be of leather, rubber or any suitable flexible material and each socured at one end to the said link 17 and at the opposite end to steering post 6 in a well-known manner. The side members 11 and 12 are connected intermediate their length y a cross brace 28 which also acts as a support for a reach pole 24 to which is bolted as shown at 26-2"? saddle 28 mounted on bolsters 29 and 31' resting on the said reach 24.

The propulsion of the vehicle is accomplished by means of the pitman 32 one end of which is journaled in the crank member of the shaft 9, being rotatably secured therein by a plate 33 secured by screws 34: to the end of the pitman 32. The pitman rod 32 is bifurcated as shown in Fig. 4 and sprung apart slightly to engage the link 17, the sprung ends of said pitman 32 being piv otally secured to the link 17 by a bolt 36. The bifurcated members of the pitman rod 2-32 are mortised as shown at 37 in Figs. 1 and 3, the purpose of the said mortises being to receive and engage a foot-rest 38.

In order to overcome a dead center in the pitma-n rod movement, I have interposed a coil spring 39 between the fixed frame members and the pitman rod 32. In the structure here shown, I have employed one spring, the ends of which are secured in hooks 41 alined in transverse relation to the vehicle on the foot-rest 38. The spring 39 passes through two holes in the cross brace 23 as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3 and the spring so arranged tones to hold the structure in the position shown in Fig. :3.

The operation is as follows: A rider sit time in the saddle 2-8 reciprocates the handle bars 7-S with the hands, at the same time applying forward pressure to the toot-rest 38. This applies pressure in opposite directions to the steering post 6 and link 17 which is pivoted in relation to the frame on the bolt 16 causing the vehicle to assume the oosition shown in Fig. 1. At this point a forward pressure is applied to the handle bars? a. d S which returns the mechanism to the position shown in rig. It will be seen that this movement propels the vehicle through the medium of the pitnan rod 32 and at the same time produces an undulating movement on the saddle 28.

The expanded position oi the spring shown in l ig. l materially assists in the return of the vehicle to the position shown in Fig. '3.

In i, have shown gearing arrange ment wherein the usual c; ink shaft 9 is p vided with a which meshes with the This is journaled in the tr: 12, as is also the crank By this arrangement, I. produce a gearing tor the use oi? grown-ups such as cripples.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi the United Stat is 1- 1. a device of the character described, the combination of "inane, a seat mounted thereon, a link pivoted tl1ereto.-:-. steering post flexibly connected to said link, a wheel carried by said steering post, a handle c; ried at the upper end of said steering post, a crank carried by the rear of said trams, and a pitman pivoted to said crank ant pivotally connected to the lower end oi said link.

2. In a device of the characterdescribed, the combination oi a frame, a s at mou t 41 thereon, link pivoted thereto, a st. g post flexibly connected to said-link, a Wheel carried by said steering post, handle carried at the upper end oi? said steering post, a crank carried by the rear of said frame, a pitman pivoted to said crank and pivotally connected to the lower end of said link, a toot-rest carried by the forward end of said pitinan, hooks carried by said toot-rest, a spring attached to one of said hooks passing through a part of said frame and having its opposite end attached to the other of said hooks.

3. ln a childs vehicle, the combination oi a frame; a crank shaft carried at one end of said frame; traction Wheels mounted on the ends of said shaft; a steering pos' mounted at the opposite end of said r'rame; a connector member flexibly joined to said steering post and having said frame pivotaily mounted thereon; and a connecting rod attached to said 0 ank and pivotally secure to said connector member.

l. in a childs vehicle, the coml nation oi a frame; a seat mounted on said ie; a crank shaft carried one end of said J. traction wheels mounted on the ends or 1 shaft; a steering post mounted at the opposite end of said iirame; handle carried by sa d steering post; a connector .membbly joined to said steering post and said "frame pivotally mountet a connecting rod attached to said err, s iatt and pivotally connected to the for Ward end oi the frame and having foot rests thereon.

5. In a childs vehicle, the combination of a frame; a seat mounted on said i ira crank shaft carried at one cnd of said 1 traction Wheels mounted on the encs oi shait; a steering post mounted at the site end of said frame; handles carried by said steering post; a connector member flexibly joined to said steering post and having said :irame pivotally mounted thereon; a connecting rod attached to said crank shaft and pivotally connected to the forward end of the frame and having toot rests thereon; means ror rotating the crank shaft by mov ment of the steering post and spring means interposed between said frame and connecting rod for returning said steering post to normal position.

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 8th day of August, 1919.

EDWIN G. COX.

In presence of- A. J. HENRY, LINCOLN V. JoHNsoN. 

